Nux is out - get it now!

The day begins quite simply like any other, my alarm goes off I look up from the table and its 6am. I have not slept; this has become a regular feature since deciding on a post-graduate study. I have to be at NUX in a few hours, things need to be done, and the paper must get to you on time. So begins my quest of this day that promises to be full of ‘interesting events’.

On my way to NUX I run into a student, who takes up half an hour of my time to tell me what a terrible paper I run and how “a certain columnist” in the paper walks and writes with an air of self-importance that is not deserving “the columnist” and should be fired. I have heard this all before and I feel a certain responsibility to all my writers. I do not mind getting phone calls at 4am in the morning because “the powers that be” are angry with one of them. But when a student attacks the credibility of a writer, I take it personally, after all in every issue I have pleaded on this very page for students to led their voice to the paper and participate more. And with every issue the students disappoint me. So, what do I do? Should I knock at their doors and beat them with sticks until they contribute? Or should I just hold them hostage and pull out their spleens and threaten to sell it? Of course I can’t do any of that, I don’t have that much power, yet. So, one more time dear student, I encourage you to participate more actively in the production our fair paper not just stand on the sidelines and give commentary.

Its cricket time, the cricket world cup has been the buzz these last few weeks and NUX felt the need to follow suit! I personally do not get the game of cricket but I am routing for South Africa. So our feature for this issue is the cricket. We went out there and asked the students how they felt about South Africa’s chances in the world cup. So who’s been watching and do you like what you see?

To the end of the road we come, the first quarter of the academic year is almost over. For ten days you get to be on holiday and then bam! It’s crunch time, the exam will be just around the corner. So use the break wisely, for we all know May is not a pretty month.

So from me, it’s over and out! I will see you when we get back! Happy Easter and take some time to relax.

Keep on trucking!
Happy reading!

Kind Regards
Michelle Atagana
Editor-in-Chief

Nux issue 3 - get it now

It’s crunch time! This is my favourite time at the Nux offices, everything seems impossible and the odds of us making the deadline for print are not very good. I love crunch time; I feel the journalistic adrenalin rushing through my veins… I am powerless, yet I feel I can conquer the world. We have no news stories and we have less than 24hrs to rectify this! Oh we are also missing a few entertainment pieces. An outsider witnessing our crunch time called my staff and I insane, which someone pointed out could have been worse, “she could have called you sane”. So here we go again…

The University of KwaZulu-Natal seems to find its way into the newspapers a lot. I have always believed that the students should be the first to form opinions about the institution. Students at UKZN are never given enough information on what is going on in the campus. The Vice-Chancellor gets sued and the students hear about it on the 7o’clock news. The administrative, the academic staff and the students should be able to communicate with each other in an adult manner. Communication and the Student Representative Council (SRC) Election is something of an obscurity, characterised by a student headed for class who happens to be bumped into by an SRC candidate who asks for their votes on the day. Battles between members of staff should not be kept secret from students until it hits the press and the administration has no choice but to send out a notice.
So the feature for this issue is the UKZN Scandal, students get the opportunity to speak up about their concerns and views on the matter. When you exit this institution is your degree all you came for and all you’re going to leave with? Do you not want to take away with you some sense of pride in knowing that you lent your voice and your thoughts to the institution whose certification will determine the rest of your life? For close to R20000 a year, I think it is not too much to ask.
We are the pioneers of the future, it has been handed to us, what we choose to do with it is entirely up to us.
From me it’s over and out! Don’t forget to grab the next issue, 22^nd of March!
Keep on trucking!
Happy Reading!

Kind Regards,
Michelle Atagana
Editor-in-Chief